Extension-ladder truck



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(No Model.)

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EXTENSION LADDER TRUCK. 1

1110. 456,224. Patented Ju1y 21, 1891.

7 y 1 i l llllllllll J A @XL1/fname@ UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.

AUGUST RUTHENBERG, OF ROCHESTER, NEV YORK.

EXTENSION-LADDER TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,224, dated July 21,1891.

Application filed February 24,1891. Serial No. 382,487. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST RUTHENBERG, a

- citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Extension-Ladder Trucks; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspeciication, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in laddersdesigned more particularly for use by the fire departments in case oftire,but of course applicable to other uses to which it may be put.

It has for its objects, among others, the provision of an improvedladder and truck which can be easily and quickly managed, the ladderraised and lowered or extended by the exertion of little power. Iprovide a double screw for raising the ladder, said screw actuating thetoggle-levers which support the ladder. The double screw is muchstronger than a single screw and accomplishes about four times the workwith one-quarter the power or labor. A double lever is employed inconnection with this double screw to add strength and power. I provideadjustable counterweights to counterweight the ladder or whole truck tobe employed to counterbalance the ladder when it is mounted by severalmen with the hose and to prevent it toppling over when it is turned awayfrom the building. These weights are carried by sliding rods easy tohandle and readily affixed in their adjusted position. Y

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will hereinafter appear,and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by theappended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation, with parts insection, showing my improved ladder slightly elevated, but with thesections not extended. Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal sectionthereof on the line Z Z of Fig. 1. Fig. is a top plan of a portion ofthe rear or pivot end of thelowermost section of the ladder.

Like letters of referenceindicate like parts throughout th'e severalviews in which they occur.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates theplatform of the truck supported upon the wheels and axles in the usualmanner, the truck being designed to turn on the turn-table B of anypreferred corstruction. sills'over the rear axle are secured thestandards C,which maybe formed of a single piece, as indicated in Fig.2, or ordinary uprights, and near their upper ends connected by across-bar a., which is designed to form a rest for the ladder when thelatteris down.

The entire ladder and its operating means are supported on the circulartable or support D, which is provided with a depending surroundingliange b, which is designed to embrace the circular guide c, and onwhich it is designed to be turned, forming a turn-table 'upon which theladder may be swung round to the desired position. Secured to the upperface of this table or support are the castings or brackets E, one neareach-side thereof, and suitably braced to give great strength thereto.On a rodd connecting the upper ends of these castings or brackets ispivoted the end ofthe lowermost section F o'f the ladder, which' at thispoint is braced by the arms F as seen best in Fig. 3. This ladder may beformed in as many sections as desired, being shown as composed of three,and these sections are designed to be extended to lengthen the ladder asoccasion may require in the following manner: Each section except thelowermost one is provided upon each side with a rack G, secured theretoin any suitable manner and designed to engage a toothed wheel G at theouter end of the next lower section, as seen in Fig. 1. Suitable guidese are provided to keep the sections parallel. The toothed wheel of eachsection meshes with a smaller toothed Wheel H, carried by a shaft on thesame section, and on the same shaft is a sprocketwheel I, over whichpasses a sprocket-chain J, which passes overa sprocket-wheelf at theother end of the same section, and on the same shaft as the lattersprocket-Wheel is a To the platform or A gear-wheel g, which meshes witha gear-wheel 7L on an adjoining shaft, the end olf which is extended andadapted to receive a wrench or other means whereby Ait may be turned toextend the sections when desired. A retainingpawl t' may be provided, asseen in Fig. 3, to prevent retrograde movement of the parts. At thelowermost end of the uppermost sec tion of the ladderI provideanti-friction rollers j, as seen in Fig. l, to support and guide thesame over the next lower section and diminish the friction between thetwo. The Sections of the ladders may be of any approved form.

Secured to the forward part of the upper face of: the support D is abracket or ears K, between which is pivotally held a nut L, with whichengages the double screw M, the outer end of which is squared orotherwise formed to receive a crank-handle or other analogous provisionr, by which it may be revolved. The other end of this screw engages anut N, pivota-lly heid between the arms O, which are pivotally attachedto t-he arms I ot' the double lever, which is pivoted at l to thebrackets E, as seen in Fig. l, the other ends ol the double or togglelever being pivotally connected to the lowermost section of the laddernear its pivot, as seen in Fig. l, the pivotal points of attachment ofthe arms Q, which t'orm the connection, being shown at o in Fig.

The double screw and peculiar form of connection gives me great powerwith the expenditure of but little labor, the screw acts at two pointsat once, and the toggle-lever gives great power and forms a stron g support t'or the ladder when raised. It enables me to throw up the ladder'or lower it with grea rapidity.

In order to prevent the overturning of the ladder and truck when theladder is turned away from the building with the men thereon and tocounterbalance it in case greater weight is placed thereon, I haveprovided the counter-weights R, which are carried by rods S, adapted toslide in guide-sleeves T on the brackets E or on the support D, the saidrods being designed to be secured in their adj usted positions in anysuitable mannen-as, for instance, by a set-screw p, held in a collar orsleeve lr, seen in Fig. 1. Fig. l indicates the manner of use ot theseweights.

Various modilications in detail'may be resort-ed to without departingfrom the spirit ot the invention or sacriiicing any ot its advantages.

1What I claim as new isl. The combination, with the ladder and itsturn-table and means for extending the sections and for raising andlowering them, of counter-weights carried by rods sliding on theturn-table, as set forth. I

The combination, with the ladder and its tu r11-table and raisin g andlowerin g means, of guide-sleeves carried by the turn-table and weightedreds adapted to slide in said sleeves,

substantially as specified.

fi. The combination, with the pivoted lowermost ladder-section, ot adouble screw, pivetal connections between the same and the section, andpivoted nuts, one of which is carried by the pivotal connections andwith which the screw engages, substantially as specified.

i-. The con'ibination, with the pivoted lowermost laddersecton, of adouble screw, the togglellever pivotally connected with the section, anut carried thereby and engaging the screw, and a pivoted nut on thesection-support with which the screw engages, subst-antially asspecified.

5. The combination, with the support and the brackets thereon, of theladder-section pivoted on the brackets, the pivoted nut on the support,the double lever pivoted between the brackets, the pivotal connectionbetween the lever and ladder-section, and the arms pivotally connectedwith the other end ol' the lever and provided with a nut with which thescrew engages, and the double screw, all substantially as specified. Y

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

AUGUS'l RUT] IEN l ERG. 1ifitncsses:

.Tous S. GUNDAUL, 'Perm-z RuiNInxiurr.

